Japanese-language dictionary
A dictionary that explains Japanese words in Japanese, as opposed to a bilingual dictionary. Often used interchangeably with 国語辞典.
See also: 国語辞典
I bought a Japanese-language dictionary for elementary school students.
dictionary of a national language
A broader, less common sense referring to a dictionary of any national language, not necessarily Japanese. Rarely used in everyday contexts.
See also: 国語辞典
This research compares the compilation policies of national language dictionaries of various countries.
More common synonym for sense 1; 国語辞書 is slightly less frequent but essentially interchangeable in that meaning.
A Japanese-English bilingual dictionary, contrasting with the monolingual nature of 国語辞書.
Compound of 国語 (national language) and 辞書 (dictionary). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word follows standard Sino-Japanese compounding patterns.